Malaysian Threat to Russian Forests
Malaysian firm Rimbunan Hijau Group, notorious with barbarous felling of trees, intends to produce wood in Irkutsk region in Russia. The representatives of the firm have met the authorities of Irkutsk region have promised to invest in timber industry of the region and have expressed their wish for playing a master in Russian forests.
L. Panchenko, the deputy CEO of Rimbunan Hijau Group have stated that the firm «is planning to harvest and process about a million or more cubic meters of wood annually». It is supposed that the Malaysian firm will create separate enterprise in the region that would produce boards and panels. The company cites as an example their experience of work in Khabarovsk Territory (Russian Far East) where in which it has invested about $95 millions. But the representatives of the firm have kept back their «experience» in Primorsky Territory (Russia) and Indonesia as well as about the problems in Khabarovk Territory provoked by their activity. Meanwhile this transnational company has cut down the best forests of the region and so it has deprived the local population (small people penany) of their traditional hunting resource.
The rate of destruction of forests in Asian-Pacific region, where timber industry is controlled by Rimbunan Hijau, are highest in the world. In spite of creating of reserves there and restrictions for cutting of old-growth forests, in this region forests are disappearing 5 times faster than in the world as a whole.
During its work in Russian Far East the Rimbunan Hijau Group made many violations, in particular, rubbish left on wood-cutting areas, which further becomes the cause of fires and breeding of vermin. For many years of its activity the company just exported round wood out from Russia, but now has begun to set sawing and processing equipment because of measures of officials. But the company had time to clear cut all the forest areas allotted to it, and there is nothing to process. And so it has decided to move to Irkutsk region, where the forests are remained yet.
24/09/2003
